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How many times do we buy things only because the people we like, recommend them?
You might drive a Toyota because your parents drove one for twenty years. Switch your mobile carrier because your colleague has flawless coverage. Or pick your career because that’s what a guest speaker at your middle school graduation said they did.
So when you set out to find an influencer to be the face of your company, you’ve likely put in weeks upon weeks of research making sure they’re the perfect fit.
Their content needs to hit the right notes… their followers are your dream target audience… and their profile looks like MKBHD sprinkled stardust all over it.
Now that you’ve found them, surely the most difficult task is behind you? All you have to do is reach out to them, and they’ll jump at the chance to work with your brand, just as thrilled as you are.
Except, if you do that, you’ll never hear back. And there are two likely scenarios.
- You send them dozens of messages imploring them to consider your proposal.
- Give up on the process and go with the first account that shows up when you search for #paidpublicity.
Both don’t exactly make your influencer marketing campaign look any good. But we’ll fix that!
What is influencer outreach?
Influencer outreach is the process of identifying and reaching out to influencers with the purpose of collaboration and/or product promotion.
But it can quickly become a long, winding path to nowhere if you miss any of the half-dozen minute steps that can dramatically alter its outcome.
To help you avoid that, we’ve put together:
- A templatized sequence of emails you can use to woo the best influencers
- Explained what makes them click so that you can adapt
- Answered all the questions about the extra tasks you’ll have to cross off to make your outreach a success
But first, let’s start with:
How to find an influencer’s email?
Influencers receive hundreds, if not thousands, of messages a day. Unless you have a verified account, or they follow you, your message might go unnoticed.
The influencers know this, which is why so many Twitter, TikTok and Instagram movers and shakers display their (or their manager’s) email address in their profile bios. Some might include a Linktree containing links to their website and/or email. In this case, you can just scrape their Instagram profiles and get a list of emails in a minute.
If they haven’t posted anything, Hunter’s domain search feature can help. Just paste their or their company’s website in the domain field and click on Find.
It’ll show you a list of email addresses associated with that website.
If you’re sending out a cold email at scale, there’s a quicker alternative. Compile a list of influencer names and their managers, if any, in a Google Sheet. And create another column containing the website URL.
Then, use the Hunter for Sheets Google Chrome extension. When you click on ‘Find Email Addresses’, it automatically populates cells with results.
If the email address is not in the database, set up an alert. Hunter sends you an email when the address is added, and eliminates the need for you to remember to check again or risk losing out on the right influencers.
What should your emails say?
Before we go further into the technicalities, here are the basic rules of thumb for doing influencer outreach:
Convince them of product fit
Influencers are finicky about the brands they endorse. They wouldn’t want to jeopardize their audience connection by promoting a product that isn’t true to their online personality.
Your primary objective during initial outreach is to convince the influencer that they and your product are a match made in social media heaven.
To win them over, show them how your product can appeal to their audience.
For example, if you’re trying to sign a home improvement YouTuber to promote your adhesive tiles, discuss how their audience might look forward to “fuss-free” alternatives to re-tiling their walls.
Give them adequate product information
Research-driven content creators might scour your website later or wait till they’ve tried the product hands-on. But at the preliminary stage, you have to get them excited about partnering with you.
Don’t put the burden of researching your product on them.
Prepare a dossier containing:
- Product name
- Salient features or USP
- Use cases
- Testimonials,
- Video tutorials of any specific features you want them to highlight in their content
Find ways to tie in your product with their usual activity
Personalize your influencer collaboration email template with mail merge to mention another product they’re already promoting and explain how yours complements/substitutes it.
If they haven’t done this sort of thing before, give them a couple of ideas about the kind of content they could create.
E.g., a protein powder brand that has only previously worked with fitness enthusiasts could bring a mommy influencer on board by demonstrating the benefits of protein supplements for recouping after breasfeeding.
Influencers, like the rest of us, need external validation to reassure them.
Give credible proof that you and your business are trustworthy.
In your email copy or sign-off, include:
- A website link
- Social media profile links
- Your Google listing
- Your outreach manager’s LinkedIn or Twitter handles, etc.
Cite previous collaborations with other influencers to convince them yours is an authentic business that values both them and their audience.
If you can’t secure the deal, secure brand awareness.
An influencer might not take you up on your offer right away, or at all. But, even if that fails, influencer outreach doesn’t have to be a dead loss.
While you’re waiting for the influencer to agree to the collab, interact with their account as often as possible.
Leave comments on their posts, and repost and share their content on your profile and stories.
This will:
- Build deeper connections with the influencer
- Let you piggyback on their popularity and be noticed by their followers and visitors.
6 Fail-Safe Influencer Outreach Templates
Take inspiration from (or steal) these winning influencer outreach email templates and secure the brand collabs that set your cash registers ringing.
Template 1: The Bare Basic Influencer Outreach Template
| Hey! I’m {your name}, {designation} at {company name}. We’re a {explain value prop in a sentence}. Everyone on the team loves the content you churn out (we’re still {laughing/rolling our eyes/scratching our heads} at {recent post topic}), and ever since we decided to launch an influencer collaboration campaign, you’ve been on top of our mind. It’d be amazing to have you as part of the {company name} family, so please write back if you’re interested in a {product promotion/brand endorsement} collab. |
- Always mention that there are no strings attached or that it’s a free sample or gift with zero expectations.
- Use a clear call-to-action (CTA) to streamline communication, something like:
- Send me your address, or
- Reply to this email address if you’re interested
- For larger influencer campaigns, send them a link to an onboarding form to save time.
- But if you’re a newer organization still finding its footing, the time spent going over the terms can help build better credibility.
- Use an email signature. Make it easy for them to check you out.
Template 2: The No Strings Attached Template
| Hi {first_name}, I’m {your name} from {company name}. We’re a {one-line explanation of what your brand does}. We’ve recently launched something we’re quite proud of. A {product description} that’s getting rave reviews from our {testers/customers}. And we’d like you to have it. That’s it. That’s the deal. Our star product in return for absolutely nothing. Pretty good one, as far as deals go, huh? If it’s a yes, send me your address and I’ll send it your way! P.S. Fantastic job on the {topic of recent post}. That’s the kind of {personalized adjective} content {company name} stands for as a brand, and why we can’t wait to see what you make of {your product}. |
Product seeding is a great ToFu action to get your product into as many hands as possible. The no-strings-attached gratuitous gesture is aimed at creating goodwill and the foundation for a long-term relationship with collaborating influencers.
This template also has a unique format in that it banks on the end, instead of the beginning, of the email to get the influencer’s attention.
After receiving the delivery notification, monitor the influencer’s feed or set up alerts to know if/when they upload a post or send you a message about your product.
If they do, get their permission to repost or share the content.
Template 3: The Nitty Gritty Template
| Hey {first_name}, {your name} from {your company}, a high-rated {competitor} alternative. I saw one of your posts promoting {product/service} and thought you’d be a great fit for our referral program to help us spread the word about {your company}. We’re already working with the likes of {referral 1} and {referral 2}, who generate more than 4-figures in revenue through us. By signing up and promoting {your company} through our program, you get: – 30% recurring and scalable commissionsBonus rewards! – Ready-made resources to promote us effectively (banners, newsletter templates, guides, and more) – SEO assistance from our content team – A dedicated account manager (that’s me!) Ready to start earning? Here is the link to join our program: {referral program link} Feel free to reach out if you have any questions. I am also reachable through LinkedIn. 🙂 Cheers,{Signature} |
If you’re launching a bigger campaign, you can’t afford to waste time going back and forth with multiple influencers. Right away, this template makes its intention known through the subject line.
The upfront disclosure of compensation and perks shows influencer you mean business.
By mentioning you’ve previously worked with other influencers, you’re letting them that you’re a reputable brand and capable of following through on your offer.
You can also include an explanation of the campaign goals and your expectations — product reviews, product promotion, affiliate program, x number of posts, channel, etc.
Template 4: The Giveaway Template
| Hey {first_name}, My name is {your name} from {your company}. I enjoy your {relevant content} and am impressed by how well you’ve done with {company}. I’m contacting you because I have a {product/service} that I think your audience would appreciate. Would you be willing to test and review {product/service}? I can provide a free sample for you to review, and three extra ones that you can give away to your audience. Please let me know if you are interested. Thanks for your time. {Signature} |
For companies that don’t want to dig deep in their pockets for sponsored social media posts, or are looking to build a UGC portfolio, giveaways can get the content mills churning on a budget.
This template lays out why they want to work with the influencer with a personalized compliment.
The four free product samples can be motivation enough for micro-influencers, and secure you visibility in front of their (usually) highly-engaged audience.
Template 5: The Event Invite Template
| Hey {first_name},{your name} from {company name} here. I happened to stumble upon your video on {topic} from last month yesterday and it’s the first time in years I’ve wanted to pull out a notepad and jot everything down. I know you’re busy so I’ll cut to the chase here. We at {company name} are producing a podcast where we invite {industry} geniuses such as yourself and discuss all things {niche} over a cuppa. We’ve been planning an episode on {area of expertise} next month, and would love to host you as our guest. If you can spare an hour sometime in the {week of month}, hit me up. If not, feel free to reach out if some other time works better. I’m sure we can move things around. Thanks for your time! |
A product giveaway might not be appropriate for every brand. Also, if the influencer is already something of a big deal in your industry, this invite is a good way to show them you recognize and value their expertise.
During the event, you can establish closer ties with them than you could with a more rigid outreach strategy. This also increases your chances of landing a collaboration in the future.
Template 6: The Follow-Up Email Template
| Have you had a chance to look at my previous email? I’ve left you a DM on Instagram but emailing you again just in case you missed it. Here is our brand’s account link. If we here at {company name} hadn’t been such big fans of your {insert personalized compliment}, we’d have been able to let go of the idea of having {you headline our influencer marketing campaign/our brand feature on your page} sooner. But you’re too brilliant to pass on, so if you have even 10 minutes for a quick call, pick an available slot here (insert calendar link), and I can take you over the details. |
The brand link in the template furthers efforts to establish authenticity. The influencer can visit your website and socials, where they’re almost certain to see your following, tagged posts, etc.
If they’re suitably impressed, it won’t take them long to act on the conveniently implementable CTA of getting on a call with you.
Even the best emails can go unread or land in spam folders. We recommend sending a maximum of 2-3 follow ups but if you’re in a competitive industry, or dealing with a bigger infuencer, be prepared to send up to 5 follow-up emails interspersed with direct messages. You can also leave a comment on posts or stories to catch their attention.
If it’s an influencer you really want to work with, in your last follow-up, leave the door open for future collaborations at a time of their choosing.
Conclusion
Tweak these outreach message templates to suit your brand voice. You can personalize the templates with brand colors, a signature design or layout, and images.
Use a reliable email automation platform to test and deliver your emails to influencers. It enables you to track campaign metrics and launch nurturing/onboarding sequences with minimal effort.
Track which content performs well, which negotiation tactics worked best, and which influencers you enjoyed working with to select brand ambassadors and advocates.
